IRES is the Institute’s unique, international research and educational program for students interested in flood resilience.
International Research Experiences for Students (IRES)
The overarching objective of the proposed IRES project is to provide transformative multi-disciplinary international research training and education to the next generation of leaders facing the societal challenge of increasing flood hazard.
IRES Global Flood Resilience Program — South Korea
SPONSOR:
National Science Foundation
Award Announcement
PROGRAM DIRECTOR:
PI:
CO-PI:
Samuel Brody
Jens Figlus
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
With new support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), IDRT is launching a new IRES program — the Global Flood Resilience Program (GFRP) — designed to give U.S. students immersive international research experiences focused on flood resilience.
Each year, students will either travel to South Korea or collaborate with visiting Korean students in Texas, conducting case study research in a highly interactive, cross-cultural learning environment. A key addition to this new IRES program is I-REverSe — a component that offers students the opportunity to gain international research experience without traveling abroad, by engaging directly with international peers in Texas.
This program expands our global partnerships and allows us to apply and evaluate the flood resilience framework we previously developed with Dutch collaborators, now in new contexts. GFRP not only advances international research but also enables students to address complex, transdisciplinary flood challenges at home and abroad.
PROGRAM TIMELINE
October 2025-September 2028
Participation in the program lasts for about a year, including pre- and post-research trip activities. The research trip to South Korea takes place each summer.
IRES Global Flood Resilience Program
APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN
Click the buttons below to learn more about IRES GFRP Summer 2026.
Overview
Flooding is the costliest natural disaster and one of the biggest threats to people and property in the U.S. and around the world. As the risk of flooding increases, solutions must come from collaboration across disciplines, sectors, cultures and countries.
The NSF-funded International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Global Flood Resilience Program (GFRP) is a new partnership between the U.S. and South Korea, built on more than a decade of successful collaboration with the Netherlands.
The IRES GFRP aims to generate advanced knowledge aimed at increasing flood resilience in global contexts, while providing convergent research training to the next generation of leaders addressing the global challenge of rising flood hazards.
IRES Global Flood Resilience Program — Netherlands
SPONSOR:
National Science Foundation
Award Announcement
PROGRAM DIRECTOR:
PI:
CO-PI:
Jens Figlus
Yoonjeong Lee
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Flood Resilience Program (FRP) between the U.S. and the Netherlands provides students with international research experiences under the guidance of faculty and researchers from multiple disciplines in both countries. Each year of the program, U.S. students engage in an immersive, six-week problem-and place-based research experience in the Netherlands, a world leader in flood risk mitigation and management. The primary goal of the program is to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists that will have to tackle the societal problem of widespread flooding in an innovative fashion.
PROGRAM TIMELINE
September 2022-August 2026
Participation in the program lasts for a year, including pre- and post-research trip activities. The research trip to the Netherlands takes place from mid-May to the end of June every year.
Student Testimonials
“As a member of the first cohort of the International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) in the Netherlands, I was most surprised by the suggestion to meet with experts on our research projects, and the willingness that the experts had to meet with us. Most often, we only encounter experts related to our research within our university, or partnerships established by our advisors; however, we were not limited to experts within the network of our mentors from IDRT, nor the companies with which we met during field trips. This recommendation led to me experiencing my first international conference outside of the United States, which took place in France a few weeks after our IRES program ended.”
AMBER SPEARS
PhD student, Jackson State University
“The IRES program was transformative in my research experience and professional development! The field trips and group activities within the Netherlands allowed me to understand problems and solutions at the local and national scales and how to transfer this knowledge back in the U.S.
The mentorship throughout the program by IDRT and Dutch experts was invaluable and I hope future students take advantage of this opportunity.”
NICK DIAZ
PhD student, Texas A&M University Galveston
“Participating in IRES was an incredible experience and I am especially grateful to my cohort, our mentors, and the experts who took the time to share their knowledge with us. Visiting the Delta Works gave me a true appreciation for the scale and innovation of the Dutch engineering solutions, and I am hoping to draw from these ideas in my future work. My favorite part of the program was meeting experts with knowledge on my specific case study area; I felt like I was meeting celebrities and thoroughly enjoyed brainstorming with them. Additionally, I had the opportunity to present my IRES findings at the Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference – Americas (YCSECA) this summer.”
DELANEY DORAN
PhD student, Texas A&M University
“The experiences provided by the IRES program were unique and very important for my professional development as a scientist. The program gave me an international perspective for problem solving and understanding flood risk reduction and management. I am grateful for this opportunity and the network of colleagues that I meet. My IRES research work will be presented at the Geological Society of America 2023 Meeting in October.”
ANGEL ACOSTA COLON
PhD student, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
CONTACT US:
Have specific questions about IRES? Please email Dr. Yoonjeoing Lee.